News

Accident claims life of Vanceburg teen

By Dennis Brown

Authorities are investigating a fatal two vehicle accident Friday morning at the intersection of the AA Highway and Ky. Rt. 59 in Vanceburg that claimed the life of a Vanceburg teen.

Vanceburg Police Lt. Tom Flannigan said the accident happened about 6:30 a.m. Friday as a 1993 Chevy S-10 pick-up, operated by Anthony Smith, 16, of Vanceburg was traveling south on Ky. Rt. 59.

Flannigan said the S-10 apparently pulled into the path of a 1999 Ford F-150 pick-up, operated by Christopher S. Moore, 33, of Garrison, which was traveling west on the AA Highway.

Flannigan said the two vehicles collided at the intersection with the F-150 striking the S-10 in the driver's side door area. He said the vehicles traveled 110 feet before coming to a stop in the roadway.

Smith was pronounced dead at the scene by Lewis County Coroner Tony Gaydos. A passenger in the S-10, Toby Bray, a LCHS student, was airlifted to Cabell-Huntington Hospital in Huntington, West Virginia. Moore was reportedly airlifted to St. Mary's Medical Center in Huntington.

Smith was a sophomore at LCHS. School officials met early Friday and made grief counselors available to students at the school.

The AA Highway was closed at that location for about two hours until the scene was cleared. Assisting were Deputy Sheriff Tom Polley, MedCorp Ambulance, Vanceburg Fire and Rescue, Dobo's Towing and A&B Towing.

Services for Anthony Lee Smith will be at Dickerson Funeral Home in Vanceburg.

Officials want addresses posted for emergencies

By Dennis Brown

Emergency workers in Lewis County want to be able to locate you in the case of an emergency.

Until everyone gets their correct address posted, and especially for those who still have their old address on their home or mailbox, those workers may have a hard time locating you at a time when minutes count.

Lewis County Emergency Services Director Carl Chaney said the E-911 addressing for Lewis County has been completed and residents received letters in the mail informing them of their new address and recommendations on how to display the address on your home.

Sheriff Bill Lewis said deputies responding to calls have reported that they occasionally have problems locating an address because it has been visibly posted or because the old address is still visible on the mailbox.

Kevin Cornette, with Buffalo Trace Area Development District, said the local dispatch center became fully enhanced last week. He said when a call is received at the center, information about the exact location of the caller is displayed on a computer screen to the dispatch operator.

The information, he said, allows dispatchers to direct emergency responders to the proper address quickly. He added that it is also very important for property owners to post addresses which are visible from the roadway to help in directing emergency responders.

Cornette said letters have also been sent to cellular telephone carriers informing them to begin to direct all 911 calls originating in Lewis County to the local dispatch center. He said all cell calls will now be handled through the local center rather than through a KSP center or adjacent 911 call center.

Chaney said residents can easily determine if their address is visibly posted by driving past their home. The address should be visible from the roadway. If the house is near the roadway, the address could be posted on the house. The address can also be posted at the end of the driveway or near the home, as long as it is visible from the roadway.

The letter sent to all Lewis County residents recommends numbers on homes be no less than three inches tall and that numbers on mailboxes be no less than one inch tall.

Although a specific ordinance dealing with posting addresses has not been adopted by Lewis County Fiscal Court, the matter is under consideration to standardize posting requirements and will likely include a section which would result in the homeowner being cited if the address is not properly posted.

Chaney said the address posting will assist fire departments, rescue units, law enforcement agencies, the US Postal Service, parcel delivery companies, utility companies, tax appraisal, public works and the general public in the timely and efficient provision of services to residents and businesses in Lewis County.

“It can mean the difference between life and death in an emergency situation,” Chaney said.

Chaney said a house that is fully engulfed in flames is easy to find, but locating any given home on any given day is much more of a challenge if responders can’t locate the proper address.

Standard recommendations for posting addresses for residences state the numbers should be a minimum of three inches in height and contrast in color with the building they are attached to. It is recommended that commercial buildings have numbers at least four inches in height in a contrasting color.

If the building is more than 50 feet from the roadway and the numbers are illegible or secluded from sight, the numbers should also be displayed near the roadway at the driveway or walkway entrance to the property.

Chaney said it is best for homeowners to have the numbers in multiple locations, especially if more than one home shares a single driveway. Trees and brush should be kept cleared to keep them from obstructing the posted address.

He said residents with concerns about address posting may contact him at 606-796-3464.

Garrison Sewer Project plans unveiled at meeting

By Dennis Brown

Residents of the Garrison Wastewater Project area had an opportunity last week to get some information about the project and ask a few questions before the project gets underway in a few months.

Kevin Cornette, who is with Buffalo Trace ADD and is Project Administrator for the Garrison Wastewater Project, led the meeting. He gave a breakdown of the project funding and described the construction of the project.

Cornette said the Garrison project is the first phase of what will later include a larger area. This project, he said, will encompass all of Garrison and travel west to Ed Gayheart’s residence; east to include all of Bentleyville; and south on Kinney Road ending just before Rock Hill.

He said the project is set to be bid out to contractors on February 15, 2010, and construction on the job should begin in May or June. The construction process is expected to take about 12 months.

Cornette said the project is estimated to cost $5.3 million with 85 percent of the funding coming from grant monies. The remainder will be in the form of low interest loans and from tap-on fees paid by customers.

He said the cost for customers will be tied to water usage and will be $11.00 per 1,000 gallons. “If you use 2,000 gallons of water, the water costs $16.53 and the sewer fee will be $22.00,” he said.

Cornette said the tap-on fee for customers in the project

area will be $250 until February 15. After that date the cost will be $3,500 to $4,000, depending on which type of grinder pump is chosen. He said the cost includes the price of a grinder pump to be located at the home. Until February 15 the project funding will pay for most of that cost.

Cornette said the system chosen for the project will require grinder pumps to be located at each residence. He said homeowners will be required to provide an electric hookup to be located near the grinder pump location.

He said the grinder pump will be located near the home and close to where the existing sewer line leaves the home.

He distributed a list of frequently asked questions and answers along with a sheet describing how grinder pumps operate. He added that workers will contact home owners and work with them on the location of the grinder pump and lines.

HMB Engineer Jeff Brindles was also at the meeting to help answer questions along with members of the Garrison Water District Board and Superintendent John Pierce.

Cornette said information concerning the project is available at the Garrison Water District Office and that plumbing, electric and health inspectors will be readily available to residents as the project gets underway.

He added that those who have not yet signed an easement for their property in the project area should do so as soon as possible and should have a copy of the deed, along with the deed book and page numbers so the property can be readily identified.

Vanceburg Police Officer honored for DUI arrests

Staff Report

The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety last week honored 192 law enforcement officers from 170 agencies across the Commonwealth for their efforts to target impaired drivers. Among those was Vanceburg Patrolman Ryan Hull.

The 2009 Governor’s Impaired Driving Enforcement Awards ceremony was held at the Embassy Suites hotel in Lexington . Awards were presented to officers with the most impaired driving arrests in each agency and division.

“Impaired driving is one of America ’s most-often committed and deadliest crimes,” said Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo, who presented the awards at the ceremony. “These officers, their departments and agencies render a great service for public safety by removing these dangerous drivers from our roads.”

Hull made nine of the 15 DUI arrests reported for the Vanceburg Police Department and was nominated for the honor by Vanceburg Police Lieutenant Tom Flannigan.

In Kentucky, more than 5,000 alcohol-related crashes resulted in 160 deaths and more than 2,700 injuries in 2008.

“Our law enforcement is making a difference, as our alcohol-related fatalities decreased last year compared to 2007,” said Acting Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock. “However, there is still a great deal of work to be done. One fatality is too many.”

Across the country, more than 13,000 people are killed each year in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher.

For more information, visit highwaysafety.ky.gov.

Tollesboro signal ready for operation

Staff Report

Governor Steve Beshear said the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has installed a traffic signal at the intersection of Ky. Rt. 57 and the AA Highway, fulfilling a commitment made to Tollesboro residents this summer.

The new signal, which is currently in “flash” mode, is scheduled to become fully operational next week.

The signal was approved as a highway safety measure following a public meeting at Tollesboro in which more than 100 residents, legislators and local officials voiced concerns about the AA and its intersection with Ky. Rt. 57, where a crash history includes multiple fatalities.

“Construction of the AA Highway provided an efficient and much-needed roadway across northeastern Kentucky,” Beshear said. “But safety issues developed on the AA at Tollesboro, and the need for a traffic signal became apparent. I am pleased that we were able to take this action, and I am confident it will result in a safer highway.”

The intersection is now controlled for traffic approaching from all four directions. The new signal includes double-red beacons and reflective yellow backplates for better visibility. New advance warning flashers east and west of the intersection alert motorists that the signal is about to change.

Local lawmakers who attended this summer’s public meeting welcomed the changes.

“With the benefits it’s poised to provide to thousands of residents each day, this new traffic signal is an example of one of our top priorities in the legislature – improved highway and community safety,” said State Sen. Robin Webb, D-Grayson, whose district stretches along the AA Highway from Bracken to Carter and Greenup counties. “We’re very pleased to see it become a reality.”

“It will make the intersection safer not only for Tollesboro residents but also for residents of the entire region,” said State Rep. Mike Denham, D-Maysville, who represents Fleming, Mason and Bracken counties. “We appreciate the Transportation Cabinet’s efforts in accomplishing this project.”

Cabinet engineers had previously undertaken a number of safety measures at the intersection, including overhead flashing beacons and oversized stop signs. Those safety devices were replaced by the new signal and its accompanying warning flashers.

The new devices will complement other safety measures at the intersection, including dedicated left- and right-turn lanes and rumble “stripes” that warn motorists when they are about to cross the center line or run off the road.

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